Tufted erect or somewhat scrambling herb; stems several, 20–70 cm. tall from a slightly woody rootstock, glabrous to hairy. Leaves and stipules in whorls of 5–10; blades linear to linear-oblanceolate, 0.6–4 cm. long, 0.5–2(–3) mm. wide, with a distinct filiform acumen at the apex, glabrous to hairy but margins without prickles; surface always with some forwardly directed “emergences”. Inflorescences lax to dense, few-many-flowered, 1–2 cm. long; pedicels 1–4(–9) mm. long. Calyx-tube subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm. long, 0.5–1.1 mm. wide, glabrous. Corolla typically yellow, sometimes cream, white or greenish cream, 2.5–4 mm. wide; tube and joined part of lobes 0.4–0.5 mm. long; lobes (1–)1.4–2 mm. long, (0.5–)0.8–1.2 mm. wide, acute or acuminate. Fruits globose, ± 2 mm. wide, often reduced to 1 coccus.